Lesson 41 Warring Against the Flesh, Look to the Lord for Victory
Questions 3 and 4
This is an important point: the Lord gives clear instructions for winning the battle. As I wake in the morning, the first thing I do is get into God’s Word. I seek Him for specific plans for the day, looking to Him for solutions and fellowshipping with Him for strength. He fortifies me and instructs me in this time as I’m studying and praying His Word back to Him. I consciously want to believe His Word, to put faith in it and receive from God during this time.
Here is what happened next in Jehoshaphat’s battle:
2 Chronicles 20:20 (NIV) Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.
So far we have the following: first the King looked to the Lord, then he received specific instructions about the advancing army, then he encouraged all to believe the Word, to have faith in what God says.
And there you have your morning battle plan for victory: seek the Lord early, look to Him for specific plans, then consciously put faith in what He says, and you will be upheld. Notice it does not say that you will hold yourself up, but rather, “you will be upheld.” God will uphold you!
Next, notice how Jehoshaphat put his faith into action:
2 Chronicles 20:21-22 (NIV) After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.” 22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
Question 4. From 2 Chronicles 20:21, how do we see that Jehoshaphat believed God’s Word, that he was exercising faith in what God said?